'No new nuclear power in Wales' call to Ieuan and Carwyn on Chernobyl anniversary

25 Ebrill 2011

On the 25th anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster, party leaders Carwyn Jones and Ieuan Wyn Jones have been criticised by Friends of the Earth Cymru for supporting a new nuclear power station at Wylfa. The group is also critical of the politicians for opposing their own coalition government's policy on Wylfa and, in the case of Ieuan Wyn Jones, going against the policies of the party he leads.

In a letter written to the leading ministers in the recently dissolved Welsh Assembly Government, Friends of the Earth Cymru describes their opposition to the policy of their government on such an important issue as 'disappointing and bizarre'.

The environmental group is calling on both leaders to learn the lessons of the catastrophe at the Fukushima nuclear power station in Japan and the worrying legacy of Chernobyl and to back renewable energy and energy efficiency instead of nuclear power. This, the group claims, will help Wales benefit from the considerable job creation and economic benefits of the rapidly expanding global green economy.

Gordon James, Director of Friends of the Earth Cymru, said:

"It has been quite bizarre to see the leader of the last Welsh Assembly Government and his deputy go against their coalition government's policy on such an important issue as nuclear power. In Ieuan Wyn Jones' case it is even worse as he is also going against the policy of the party he leads."
Friends of the Earth Cymru is calling on both politicians to change their views on Wylfa in response to the catastrophe at the Fukushima nuclear plant in Japan and the worrying legacy of te Chernobyl disaster 25 years ago today.
Gordon James continued:

"The catastrophe at the Fukushima nuclear power station in Japan, following the horrific earthquake and tsunami, has forced a global re-think on nuclear power. China, for instance, has suspended approvals for proposed nuclear plants.

"A report from the Worldwatch Institute earlier this month warns that the nuclear industry globally faces a rapid decline as a result of spiralling costs which are being exacerbated by a Fukushima backlash

"The on-going consequences of the Chernobyl disaster should also act as a check on further nuclear ambitions. In north Wales, over 300 farms are still affected by the fall-out from Chernobyl even though farmers were told at the time that these impacts would only last around three weeks and, at most, three months.

"There has been, and continues to be, considerable controversy about the impacts of Chernobyl on human health but sufficient scientific evidence exists to warrant considerable concern."

Friends of the Earth Cymru is critical of the official UN response to the effects of Chernobyl and refers to a number of independent studies which show worrying evidence of long-term ill health problems and premature death for thousands of people.

Gordon James continued:

"Apart from the risk of an accident, there are numerous other reasons for opposing the building of new nuclear power stations. No solution has been found for safeguarding nuclear waste for tens of thousands of years, the threat of terrorist attack is very real, and the risk of proliferation of nuclear weapons capability to other countries is a major global concern. Bequeathing the problem of hazardous nuclear waste to future generations is totally at odds with the Welsh Assembly's commitment to sustainable development.

"The excessive cost of the heavily subsidised nuclear industry will increase following Fukushima as more emphasis will have to be placed on safety and insurance liability. Energy expert, Professor Stephen Thomas from Greenwich University, claimed in the Financial Times last year that offshore could be built for two thirds of the cost of nuclear power.

"With a large wind farm proposed in the north Irish Sea and abundant tidal resources off its coast, Anglesey could reap significant job creation benefits from pursuing renewable energy instead of nuclear power."

Friends of the Earth Cymru warns that developing nuclear power will divert funding and political attention from renewable energy and energy efficiency solutions to climate change.  This, it states, is something Environment Minister, Jane Davidson, warned about at the Sennedd last November.

The group gives as an example, the UK government's announcement last October that it was not taking forward any of the proposals for harnessing tidal energy in the Severn Estuary but would be building new nuclear power stations.

Gordon James continued:

"Wales has an abundance of renewable energy sources, which the Welsh Assembly Government has recognised could generate more than Wales' total electricity demand by 2025.

"The tragic events in Japan and the legacy of Chernobyl should make us realise that Wales' huge potential for delivering energy from renewable sources while slashing energy waste can provide the cleaner, safer future we need. Building a new nuclear power station at Wylfa would be a dangerous and costly distraction.

"It has been extremely disappointing, and rather bizarre, to have had the leaders of the two parties in coalition government in Wales oppose its policy on such an important issue. We hope that the current re-assessment of nuclear power will mean that the next Welsh Assembly Government will be unanimous in its opposition to new nuclear build at Wylfa."

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